Symbian phones - the good, the better and the mind-blowing

Symbian's been around for many years, but in 2009, it's evolving. Let's take a look at the mind-blowing phones all set to usher in a new age for Symbian.

Nokia N97 - fusing Symbian with QWERTY

It should beat the other two to market, so it's the first on this list: it's the Nokia N97, a true mobile multimedia computer. It's also the only phone in this article to feature a full QWERTY keyboard, which is sure to make the Nokia N97 the natural choice for those who live to text, or email. Not only that, but the Nokia N97 includes one of the best multimedia playback engines ever seen on a mobile phone, and with a massive 32Gb of internal memory, you're going to be able to get a LOT of stuff on it. Combine that with a 5 megapixel camera, and it makes the Nokia N97 a very solid purchase.

Samsung Omnia HD - Symbian meets true HD Video

However, if video is more your thing, another phone trumps the N97: the Samsung Omnia HD. The HD on the end of the name isn't just there for show, it signifies that the Samsung Omnia HD is the first phone in history that can record 720p HD-Video. Conveniently, that's the same definition Youtube shows its high-def videos at, so is it possible that the Samsung Omnia HD is actually the perfect HD Youtube phone?

Sony Ericsson Idou - the best Symbian camera phone in history

With the Nokia N97, you get that QWERTY keyboard, and if video is more your thing, there's the Samsung Omnia HD; but what if your tastes run more to still images. Then you need the Sony Ericsson Idou, the UK's first (unless someone beats them to it) 12 megapixel camera phone. Like the other phones in this rundown, it uses Symbian Touch, but with the Sony Ericsson Idou, you'll find a custom SE interface on, that's both slick and intuitive. And then, of course, there's that camera; at 12 megapixels, with Cyber-Shot technology, the Sony Ericsson Idou will give even standalone cameras a run for their money. Put simply, the Sony Ericsson Idou, at the time of writing, is the best camera phone the world's ever seen!